Andrew L. Urban.
As the Bell Royal Commission closes down taking incoming fire over its ultimately limp, incomplete approach to its task of exploring how Australia could so quickly be so rocked by antisemitism, perhaps we can help …
We didn’t need a Royal Commission to tell us that the pathetically weak response from political and community leaders to the eruption of Jew hatred on the Opera House steps on October 9 and ongoing, created a socio-political climate that tolerates terrorist supporters demonstrating, encourages anti-Jew hatred and embraces violence. But we do need the Royal Commission to condemn it as a key driver of what followed.
“I’m smiling and I’m happy – I’m elated,” declared a jubilant Sheikh Ibrahim Dadoun, speaking animatedly to a large crowd gathered outside Lakemba Station on Sunday night. “It’s a day of courage, it’s a day of resistance, it’s a day of pride, it’s a day of victory. This is the day we’ve been waiting for. Seventy-five years of occupation and 15 years of blockade, what yesterday happened was the first time our brothers and sisters break through the largest prison on earth. This brings pride to the heart.”
To which PM Anthony Albanese said, in the subdued tone of a dull weatherman: “nothing to celebrate”.
Many have made the observation that echo ASIO boss Mike Burgess, whose strong view is that the antisemitism that first erupted at the Opera House rally on October 9, 2023, went largely unchallenged and became normalised, because it was not properly addressed by either law enforcement or political and community leaders. “I was concerned about this and concerned about behaviours being normalised,” he has said. “Those behaviours being normalised raised the temperature, which increased the permission for politically motivated violence and, sadly, we saw that: from threatening, intimidating behaviour through to direct targeting of people, businesses and places of worship, through to killings of Jewish Australians.”
Albanese’s response appeared to be motivated by fear of upsetting Muslims in Labor electorates. That is bad enough, but if that wasn’t the reason, the inferences are even more shocking.
In our submission to the Royal Commission on February 25, 2026, we set out the history of anti-Israel behaviours and decisions by the Albanese government that in our view normalised anti-Jewish/anti-Israel sentiment and its outpouring.
For example:
- Late 2022–Early 2023: Doubling Aid to UNRWA The government announced it would double annual funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from $10 million to $20 million, supporting Palestinian refugees. This was praised by Palestinian advocates but criticized by some as indirectly aiding groups hostile to Israel. In October 2017, writing in The Spectator Australia, I had complained that Australia, then even as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, was providing aid of $43.8 million to the Palestinian Territories, which in turn paid terrorists. In 2017, half of the US$693 million that the PA receives as foreign aid, US$345 million, was paid out as stipends to convicted terrorists and their families. The Foundation for the Care of the Families of Martyrs is dedicated to assisting an Arab who has been “wounded, killed, or otherwise affected as a result of their joining the revolution or the presence of the revolution,” against Israel and operates within the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Social Affairs. In 2016 it supported 35,100 families. David Adler of the Australian Jewish Association soon added his voice calling for this aid to be reconsidered; it was halved under the Coalition government; Labor’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong later reinstated it.
- October 2023: Call for “Proportionality” in Israel’s Response to Hamas Attacks Immediately following the October 7 Hamas attacks, Albanese condemned the terrorism but emphasized that Israel’s response must be “proportional” (without explaining that) and respect international law, including protecting civilians in Gaza. This was interpreted as prematurely constraining Israel’s self-defence, especially as it is universally well known that the Israel army does more than any other army to protect civilians – the opposite of what Hamas does.
- October 26, 2023: Additional Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Days after the massacre of October 7, DFAT announced $15 million in additional aid for civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, and the region, focusing on food, water, and medicine amid Israel’s military operations. While deemed humanitarian, it was seen as prioritizing Palestinian needs over Israel’s security concerns.
- February 2024: Abstention on UN Vote Condemning Israel’s Response to October 7 Australia abstained (rather than voting “no”) on a UN resolution criticizing Israel’s military actions in Gaza following the October 7 attacks, signalling a tougher stance on Israel compared to allies like the US.
- March 15, 2024: Resumption of UNRWA Funding After a brief pause in January 2024 due to allegations of UNRWA staff involvement in the October 7 attacks, the government resumed and increased funding to UNRWA by another $6 million. This decision faced backlash from pro-Israel groups amid ongoing investigations.
- July 19, 2025: Criticism of Israel’s Actions in Gaza as “Indefensible” Albanese stated that Israel’s actions in Gaza were “not self-defence and are indefensible,” amid escalating conflict. This was part of broader calls for Israel to end “appalling” situations in Gaza.
- September 21–22, 2025: Formal Recognition of the State of Palestine PM Albanese issued a statement recognizing the State of Palestine, aligning with the antisemitic UN General Assembly. He emphasized Australia’s historical role in Israel’s creation but pushed for Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution. This was hailed by Hamas and Palestinians in general but condemned by Israel as premature and rewarding terrorism.
So, Madam Commissioner, here are some of the most important first recommendations you could make, even without having heard from government witnesses, such as PM Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke:
Recommendations re Section d) of the Terms of Reference: countering the spread of ideologically and religiously motivated extremism in Australia:
1-Ensure that Federal legislation criminalises all aspects of displaying ideologically and religiously motivated extremism, including marches, protests, flags, posters, symbols, slogans;
2-Prosecute offenders as quickly as practical and deport convicted offenders if possible;
3-Respond immediately and forcefully to any display of antisemitism in public forums;
4-Make all such responses public;
5-Require all Imams to instruct Muslim preachers to abide by the laws, or risk severe penalties;
6-Refrain from denigrating Israel both domestically and in international forums;
7-Refrain from lifting aid to UNRWA;
8-Grant visas to all Israelis unless the applicant is a designated terrorist;
9-Impose financial penalties on educational institutions that fail to protect Jewish students;
10-Prosecute individual educators for breaches of hate speech laws and deny funding for academics promoting anti-Jewish ideology.
It’s a start …